LIGHTNOVELONLINE
Chapter 38: Fame 3
Our evening at the temple went smoother than I'd anticipated.
Han Se-ah had the children's full attention, repeatedly pulling toys from her inventory.
Grace was busy helping with cleanup.
Meanwhile, I regaled the children with the tale of an orc subjugation, a request from a nobleman.
While sharing the story, I glossed over the scheming and high civilian casualties.
What the children heard was a classic adventure, with me blocking a narrow valley path giving the knights an opportunity to take down the orcs.
"Alright, see you tomorrow at the Adventurer's Guild."
"Be careful out there."
The money we'd splurged on fresh, high-end ingredients had definitely paid off in our meal, which was a clear step up from what the inn served.
We bid Irene farewell, each of us holding a temple emblem. Being a nun, she stayed at the temple.
Her emblem was slightly larger than the one around her neck.
Not pure gold, but it shone with an uplifting, golden hue.
Han Se-ah inspected it up close in front of her camera drone, asking,
"What's the purpose of this? Is it like an adventurer's badge?"
"Something like that. It's handy for external quests. It's an overly generous thank you for just half a day's babysitting. The temple must've seen our actions with the Full Moon Wolves as similar to saving the children."
Alternatively, Irene, the Saint Candidate, might've had a hand in it.
In a world lacking ID cards or surveillance cameras, verifying an outsider's identity can be challenging.
Symbols from reputable organizations like this are the only reliable method.
Though many impostors forge identities, few dare to fake a temple's emblem.
While faking an adventurer could land a bounty on your head, posing as a priest brings the wrath of the inquisitors.
If the guards catch you, it's imprisonment or slavery. Inquisitors, however, cut to the chase with torture and execution.
"Most outsider-wary villages won't turn away these emblems. Of course, with Irene in tow, we'll likely not need them."
With that, we strolled down the dim street.
Tomorrow, once the analysis of the Full Moon Wolf's trace is wrapped up, we'd be in for a boss fight.
I'd then gear up the party at the intermediate level.
We should be covered financially, and if not, I can fill in the gaps.
***
Raei Translations
***
Back in my lodgings, I hit the bed and brought up the forum.
Being cut off from the modern world for a decade has turned me into an addict.
Sure, I only had access to Han Se-ah's forum, but it was more than enough.
With Han Se-ah's speed of progression captivating the world, her forum user base has grown considerably.
Currently, two individuals dominated the forum discussions.
The first was the noble Charlotte, who was seen caring for the orphans at the temple, and the other was fellow streamer Kim Seok-hyun.
-This maid.. why is she so good with the dagger
-The Pink Princess has appeared
-This guy ^ seems to have read some novels...
-The logic in this game does not make sense
The introduction of a new beauty naturally drew the audience's attention.
The classic pairing of a young lady and her maid was simply too enticing.
While no one proposed adding 2 'Ambitious' Charlotte and 1 'Maid' Mari to the party, they nonetheless filled half the forum's discussions.
After all, who can resist the cuteness of children and the charm of beauties?
A beauty caring for children in a temple was bound to leave an impression on viewers.
Charlotte's 'Ambitious' title likely tied in with her adventuring activities and service at the temple.
As a noble lady, she aimed to be an active noblewoman, not a trophy, so she sought the temple's power.
Noble young ladies seldom turn adventurers.
In mobile games, even nobles, princesses, and noble ladies scale the tower.
However, this world strived for utmost realism.
If the northern duke, ruling the vast northern lands, became a 5 Northern Duke character and set off on adventures, who'd manage the paperwork and politics?
-Pink Princess has appeared
[Charlotte taking care of children in the orphanage.JPG]
[Charlotte smiling with Irene.JPG]
-This isn't the pink I'm familiar with, right?
-She looks so gentle, why 'Ambitious'?
-"Lewd Charlotte" would've made more sense
What's lewd about her, perv?
If it's an adult game...
Impressive someone would say that after seeing her
These guys have been impressive for a while now
Generally, red-haired characters are passionate, and blue-haired ones are cold.
The "Pink Princess" term popping up often corresponds to the somewhat lewd and coarse image of characters with pink hair.
True, both the adventurer gear and casual clothes she wears are high-quality, frilly outfits, but there's no explicit exposure.
Yet, that detail doesn't seem to matter to the frenzied viewers.
Some comments even explained that it's simply because "she's pretty."
Next, I focused on the post just below.
Amid a sea of fleeting posts featuring lewd maid images and adult manga recommendations, one post held its ground as the most upvoted.
[Kim Seok-hyun taking out a steel plate from his inventory.JPG]
[The horned wolf gets pierced.GIF]
[Kim Seok-hyun presenting his inventory as a treasured heirloom.GIF]
So non-magic users just claim the inventory is a family heirloom?
Riding on your parents' ****, even in-game
Instead of heirlooms, just say you found them on your adventures
Where would a rookie adventurer find that?
Even if you say you found it lying around, npcs would believe it, so no problem
Kim Seok-hyun, a man who passed off his inventory as an adventurer parents' heirloom, seemed to have a decent grasp of the system.
In a previous stream, he held a small buckler shield to confront the charging Horned Wolf, only to end up impaled by its horn in a stream clip that made its way to the forum.
It looks like he's using Han Se-ah as a guide, tailing her progress closely.
In response to the sudden charge of the Horned Wolf, Kim Seok-hyun reached into thin air, producing a metal plate larger than my shield, barricading the attack.
Whether he had learned from experiencing the Horned Wolf's charge firsthand or if it was a premeditated move for the stream was unclear, but it certainly made for an entertaining watch.
The inventory system, allowing one to reach into the air and withdraw items, allowed for such applications.
According to the forum posts, a majority of players use their inventories as weapon storage.
Users who favored greatswords or hammers would stow these enormous, cumbersome weapons in their inventories, conjuring them out of nowhere as battle commenced.
There were also stories of players fumbling over their weapons after a surprise Horned Wolf attack, only to be met with a game over.
After some time lying down, I noticed the moon slowly receding outside the window.
If I shut my eyes now, I could squeeze in a couple of hours of sleep.
While my former self would have been wiped out from being awake since dawn, Roland's superhuman physique could maintain near-optimal condition with just two hours of sleep daily.
It felt strange to use this superhuman body for forum browsing.
***
It didn't seem like two hours had passed when I awoke to the sound of a rooster crowing.
Despite the extremely brief sleep, a quick stretch in bed was all it took to shake off any drowsiness.
With a sense of awe at how a superhuman physique could enhance life's simple comforts, I freshened up and made my way to the Adventurer's Guild.
Unfortunately there weren't any notable requests posted.
"Ah, you're here?"
"You're up quite early."
"The temple starts its day early. I completed my prayers and came straight here."
Typically, I was the first to arrive and wait for my party members each day.
However, today, Irene was already seated at the guild table, waiting.
In retrospect, Ellis had mentioned that Irene had arrived even before the guild doors were open to request a party transfer.
I initially assumed her early arrival was due to eagerness, but looks like she was simply a dutiful individual.
Irene, who had been lively and talkative the day before, greeted me with a broad smile.
If a mere half day of volunteering at the temple improved my relationship with such a stunning beauty, it was one hell of a deal.
"So, are we heading to the tower after meeting up here?"
"We'll head to the Magic Tower to receive the analysis."
"Ah, I see. Will the results be ready in just a day?"
"They should be, considering they're mages."
Strictly speaking, it was a matter of quest progression.
Would they make us wait for two or possibly three days after uncovering the boss monster's traces?
I responded to Irene, who nodded understandingly, her petite head bobbing.
She seemed to be preparing herself internally, licking her lips.
The guild's door abruptly swung open.
"Wow, you're really early today! Hello, Irene!"
"Since we're all here, let's go to the Magic Tower!"
Grace strode in, her usual lively self, closely followed by Han Se-ah.
Seeing how confident Han Se-ah was, even proposing heading straight for the Magic Tower, there must have been some progress with the quest.
***
Bleh I've been on reddit to work on the forum chatter. It's hard!
2/4 Enjoy the chappie!
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